Friday’s breaking-news coverage of the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers had the sprawl of an action film, the tension of spy novel and the anything-can-happen uncertainty of live television.

It was both gripping spectacle and a monotonous exercise in network and cable news obfuscation. It had rampant speculation, erroneous and contradictory on-scene reporting, and comments from family members and acquaintances in lieu of actual developments. | April 19, 2013»Read Full Blog Post(6)

Television reporters and anchors come and go. But TV stations are local institutions whose roots in the community can often date back decades.

Like other institutions today, they are facing challenges. But they also are increasingly valuable commodities because, as Will Rogers once said about real estate, they aren't making more of them. | July 9, 2013»Read Full Article(2)

Blog Updates

We've heard the saying: If you're willing to work hard, you'll be able to make a living and build a better life for your children.

It's the theme that the middle class was built on, but a PBS "FRONTLINE" series, "Two American Families" set in Milwaukee, shows that even though a family can work extremely hard and play by the rules, the American Dream can still slip right through their hands. The show airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday on PBS. | July 9, 2013»Read Full Article(98)

Music from De La Buena, kayak rides and food trucks will be included in the opening of Three Bridges Park on July 20.

The new park, developed in the Menomonee Valley from a long-abandoned rail yard, will open at 10 a.m. with short group processions from each bridge to an area of the park across from the 33rd Court Bridge. There will be a ceremonial blessing by a Potawatomi Tribe elder at 10:15 followed by kayak demonstrations, fishing, live music, food trucks and kayak and bike rides until 2 p.m. | July 9, 2013»Read Full Article

Though Summerfest is known for having hundreds of bands play nearly a thousand shows over 11 days, what made this year different were family-friendly daytime activities that emphasized the beauty of the lake.

John Boler, the festival's chief marketing officer, said Summerfest's paddle boating and skydive shows were hits that helped to make the event "magical." | July 9, 2013»Read Full Article(9)

I set myself a goal for this year of reading 100 books. Through June 30, I'd read 58, slightly ahead of the pace I need to reach my target.

That sounds like a big pile of books to some of my friends and coworkers, but I'm aware of people who will read more books, in some cases many more books, this year than I will. | July 9, 2013»Read Full Article(2)

The Milwaukee Comedy Festival plans to lead up the annual comedy festival with, what else, comedy events.

The kick-off begins July 25 and runs through July 27 with shows at the Underground Collaborative, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave., in the Grand Avenue Mall. A meet-and-greet with performers and festival staff and a comedy showcase is planned for July 31 at the Next Act Theatre, 255 W. Water St. | July 9, 2013»Read Full Article

There will be no Labor Fest this year at the Henry Maier Festival Park grounds.

Labor Fest, which had been scheduled for Sept. 2, is the signature event for the Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO. It has been held for years and includes a Labor Day parade. | July 9, 2013»Read Full Blog Post(189)

New novels from Thomas Pynchon and Donna Tartt and the late Flannery O'Connor's prayer journal are among the promising books due out later in 2013, according to The Millions' semi-annual literary preview.

Kohl's Corp. will donate $1.5 million over three years to continue support of a live theater at the Milwaukee County Zoo that uses drama, puppets and music to deliver conservation messages.

The gift from the Menomonee Falls-based retailer to the Zoological Society of Milwaukee County will provide for physical improvements, new puppets and expansion of the show repertoire at the Kohl's Wild Theater. The theater was begun with a previous $1 million donation from Kohl's in 2010. | July 9, 2013»Read Full Blog Post(12)

With 800-plus bands performing across 11 days, Summerfest was once again able to feature practically every kind of music under the sun. But one kind of style that was nowhere to be found at Maier Festival Park was religious organ music.